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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29752269">Once a King, Always a King</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/JayColin/pseuds/JayColin'>JayColin</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Prophecy Series [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Chronicles of Narnia - All Media Types, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Merlin (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Dragons, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Background Het, Background Relationships, Crossover, Dragons, Implied Mpreg, Intersex, M/M, Male Slash, Multiple Crossovers, One Shot, Reincarnation, Slash, Sothoryos (A Song of Ice and Fire)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 22:47:34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>10,938</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29752269</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/JayColin/pseuds/JayColin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In the year 2005, as he lies dying, an old man in his bed, Peter Pevensie is visited by his oldest friend, the great lion Aslan himself, who presents the one-time High King of Narnia with a choice that could have profound consequences for not only Peter but his family and a whole world.</p><p>This story is part of the same universe as my Harry Potter/A Song of Ice and Fire crossover 'The Prophecy of the Seven'. This is a standalone story set before the events of the main story, so you don't need to read it first to understand this.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Caspian/Peter Pevensie, Edmund Pevensie/Original Male Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Prophecy Series [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2186694</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>35</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Once a King, Always a King</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Author’s Note: This story is set in the same universe as my Harry Potter/A Song of Ice and Fire crossover ‘The Prophecy of the Seven’. You don't have to read 'The Prophecy of the Seven' first in order to understand this story. This is the first of three one-shots in the same universe which set things up for the Narnia and Merlin characters to join the main story. Narnia, Camelot, and their surrounding kingdoms are located outside of the Westerosi/Essosi known world, on the continent of Sothoryos.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Once a King, Always a King<br/>
By J.C. Vascardi</p><p>-o-0-o-</p><p>Chapter One of One</p><p>-o-0-o-</p><p>Seventy-eight-year-old Peter Pevensie weakly lifted his arm and coughed loudly into a handkerchief, before he nearly collapsed back against his pillows. He’d been feeling ill for several days and he wasn’t improving, so given his age, he had a feeling that the end was coming for him, whether he wanted it to or not.</p><p>Of course, some part of him almost did want it to come, as strange as that might seem. He’d always hoped that with his death, he’d be able to visit Narnia again, as he missed the magical country in which he and his three siblings had spent so many years and had so many grand adventures.</p><p>When he’d left Narnia the last time, after helping to place Prince Caspian on the throne, Aslan had told him that he would never return to Narnia in this life.</p><p>“He never said anything about the afterlife, however,” Peter whispered to his empty bedroom.</p><p>After leaving Narnia, Peter had studied engineering at Imperial College London, had a successful career, a beautiful wife, and four happy and well-adjusted children.</p><p>Peter coughed into his handkerchief again as his eyes drifted over to his nightstand and he looked at the copy of his second wedding photo when he’d remarried his dear wife, Anna, on their fiftieth wedding anniversary. That was seven years ago and they’d been blissfully happy, as their children and grandchildren came together to celebrate.</p><p>Their happiness was short-lived, however, as not quite one year later, during a routine physical, it was discovered that Anna had pancreatic cancer… already at stage four. He and his children and grandchildren came together after Anna’s diagnosis and did all they could to support her through her treatments and make the time she had left as happy as possible. Sadly she ultimately lost her battle, leaving Peter a widower only six months later.</p><p>He wasn’t bitter, however, as he and Anna had had fifty-one happy years together. Which in his mind made up for the rather unhappy and stressful final six months of Anna’s life. He knew there were plenty of people who never found the kind of happiness that he’d found with Anna.</p><p>His sister, Susan, for example, had been married seven times. Most of her marriages didn’t last for more than five years. The only one that did was her third, which had lasted eight. Of course, Susan was something of a sore spot for Peter and his other siblings, Edmund and Lucy.</p><p>The four of them had all enjoyed their time in Narnia… but after helping Prince Caspian, when Peter and Susan were told they’d never get into Narnia again, Susan had apparently decided it was time to grow up. Her newfound maturity, as she called it, had seen her becoming obsessed with nylons, lipstick, and party invitations.</p><p>Worst of all, however, was that she’d stopped believing in Narnia and Aslan. She came to believe that all the time they’d spent together as the Kings and Queens of Narnia had been nothing more than silly childhood games they’d played. She insisted that they never happened in reality.</p><p>In time she got angry whenever Peter, Edmund, or Lucy talked about it and would accuse them of being big babies who were incapable of growing up and leaving those silly games in the past where they belonged.</p><p>Peter sighed. He, Edmund, and Lucy had hoped that with time Susan would regain her belief in Narnia and Aslan, but sadly it was apparently never meant to be. Any chance of her regaining her belief went out the window when two years ago she contracted Alzheimer’s Disease and quickly began losing all of her memories.</p><p>“Poor Susan,” Peter whispered, as he thought back to the last time he’d visited her, a month ago. She was a frail, white-haired old woman now, who didn’t remember him, Edmund, Lucy, or anyone else in the family.</p><p>Most days she could barely remember her own name, let alone the names of her caretakers at the long-term care facility that she now called home. Peter, Edmund, and Lucy had all wanted to take her in, but they knew they were not equipped to give her the kind of round-the-clock care she needed.</p><p>Looking at her also hurt them. Not only because she didn’t remember them, but because they could remember her and all of the hurtful things she’d said to them about their continued belief in Narnia and Aslan.</p><p>“I wish I knew why she stopped believing,” Peter whispered. “Why she became so certain that it was all just a silly game.”</p><p>In the silence that followed, Peter jumped slightly when he heard what sounded like the soft roar of a lion. Looking across his bedroom, at his writing desk, Peter’s eyes widened as he saw the golden paperweight in the shape of a lion that Edmund had given him on his seventieth birthday shake its mane and come to life.</p><p>“Aslan?” Peter asked.</p><p>“Yes, Son of Adam,” the paperweight said, as it enlarged to the size of a house cat and jumped off the desk, only to jump up onto Peter’s bed next to him a moment later. “It is good to see you again.”</p><p>“It’s good to see you too, Aslan,” Peter said, a tear forming in the corner of his eye.</p><p>He’d always hoped that he’d get the chance to talk to Aslan again, but it had never happened once since that fateful day in 1941 when he’d left Narnia for the final time. Still, even the passage of the intervening sixty-four years was not enough to shake Peter’s faith in the great lion.</p><p>Peter grinned as he said, “I named one of my sons after you. Well, his middle name, at least. Anna insisted we call him John after her father. Still, I think John Aslan Pevensie has a certain ring to it.”</p><p>Aslan chuckled. “I was honored, Peter.”</p><p>After a moment’s pause, Aslan said, “Don’t trouble yourself about Susan, Son of Adam. It won’t be long until she succumbs to her eternal rest. She still doesn’t believe in me or Narnia and I’m afraid there’s nothing I can do about that, as I’m not one to force people to do anything against their wills. But, she will, at least soon be able to rest in peace and not be in any more pain.”</p><p>“Pain, Aslan?”</p><p>“Arthritis, as well as the mental pain. Like most people with her affliction, she hasn’t taken the loss of her memories well. She’s frequently scared, frustrated, and angry when she can’t remember. But as I said, her rest is coming, and then she won’t be feeling any of those things.”</p><p>Peter sighed but nodded. As much as his sister’s hurtful words had cut him to the core over the years, he still loved and cared about her and he didn’t want her to experience any kind of pain. So, he was happy that she’d be released from it, even if only in death.</p><p>“Son of Adam,” Aslan said, “I’ve come because like your sister, your own time is not far off. Unlike her, however, you’ve held onto your belief in Narnia and in me… so I’d like to present you with a choice.”</p><p>“A choice, Aslan?”</p><p>The lion nodded. “A seat at my table in my own country and eternal peace and happiness… or, a chance to visit Narnia once again and help her in a time of great need.”</p><p>“As much as I’d love to be of help to Narnia, Aslan, I don’t know how much help I could possibly be. I’m an old man. I doubt I could even lift Rhindon, let alone actually use it.”</p><p>Aslan laughed. “My dear Son of Adam, if you decide that you want to help Narnia, I assure you that you will no trouble lifting a sword… although Rhindon shall not be yours this time around.”</p><p>Peter nodded. A part of him had expected that, as he had passed it on to Caspian when he left Narnia that final time.</p><p>“I imagine the current King of Narnia is using it.”</p><p>“Well, not quite,” Aslan said. “I’m afraid the Narnia you knew is long gone. It was conquered by the Calormene Empire in 1949 here on Earth—the year 2555 in Narnia—during the reign of Caspian’s six-times great-grandson, King Tirian. By the time the stars rained down from the sky and the sun set on your Narnia for the final time, many people and beasts didn’t even believe in me any longer.”</p><p>Peter’s eyes were wide as he asked, “How could that happen, Aslan?”</p><p>“I’m afraid they’d been deceived and manipulated into believing that the Calormene god Tash and I were one and the same. Tashlan they called me and him together. While I was simply saddened by it, Tash himself had a far more negative and extreme reaction… which triggered the Deep Magic to finally destroy Narnia once and for all.”</p><p>In the silence that followed, as tears rolled down Peter’s cheeks, as he’d been so shocked by what he’d heard that he didn’t notice when Aslan had said ‘the Narnia you knew’ and ‘your Narnia’, the lion placed one of its golden paws on Peter’s arm.</p><p>“Peace, Son of Adam. While that Narnia is gone, there are still others.”</p><p>“Others?” Peter asked as he wiped his tears. “What do you mean?”</p><p>“There are countless worlds and other realities, Son of Adam. Every choice that a person makes in their life has the chance to spawn an infinite number of different realities where that person made a different choice.”</p><p>“So you mean there’s other Lands of Narnia?”</p><p>“Yes,” Aslan confirmed. “The one that needs help is only a very small part of a much larger world. And unlike the one that you and your siblings knew, this one is, much like Earth, on a spherical planetoid rather than a flat expanse of land and ocean.”</p><p>“What kind of help does it require?”</p><p>“I’m afraid I can’t go into too much detail, Son of Adam. Only to say that it faces a dire threat that could see it into some very dark times that could, if left unchecked, lead to its destruction and a great loss of life.”</p><p>Peter remained silent as he digested that, prompting Aslan to say, “And should you choose to help this Narnia, then you should know you will not simply be a visitor there. You will actually be reborn there as the reincarnated future King of Narnia. Although, your title and responsibility as High King of Narnia will be someone else’s this time around.”</p><p>“Reborn? You mean I’d be a baby again?”</p><p>Aslan nodded. “Yes, Son of Adam, you’d be a born citizen of Narnia and you would have to grow up a second time, although you would also retain all of your memories and skills from your past adventures in the other Narnia to aid you there.</p><p>“However, many things about this Narnia will be different from the one you knew. It would, I think, be very boring for you to relive every event in Narnia that you already lived through and have everything happen exactly the same way it did before. It would also make things way too easy if you already knew about every situation that was going to happen and how to handle them before they even happened.”</p><p>“True,” Peter said. “That would not be much of a challenge.” He paused here and then asked, “Would I know anybody there? I mean would anyone from Earth or the Narnia I knew be joining me in this new Narnia if I do decide to go?”</p><p>“When their respective times come, I do plan to make the same offer I’m making to you to Edmund and Lucy, so you will, at the very least know them. As for other friends from the other version of Narnia, they may be present… though I should caution you that not all of them will look the same as they did in the past lives. In fact, many of them might not even be the same race that they were previously.”</p><p>Peter lifted his left hand and stroke his chin at this, “Will I still be human?”</p><p>“Yes. If you decide to go there you will be Prince Peter Pevensie, one of the future Kings of Narnia. Edmund and Lucy will, if they take the offer, also be themselves and your siblings again. The three of you, however, will be the exception to the rule, as it will be far more likely that anyone you know who decides to help this version of Narnia will lead a completely different life than they did before. Like you and your siblings, however, they will retain their memories and skills.”</p><p>Peter didn’t really need to think long about his decision. While a seat at Aslan’s table in Aslan’s Country and eternal rest at his side sounded wonderful, Peter just couldn’t bring himself to not do everything within his power to help a Narnia that needed him. Even if it wasn’t the Narnia that he knew and loved.</p><p>“I’ll go, Aslan,” Peter said. “I’ll help Narnia.” He grinned. “Once a King or Queen of Narnia, always a King or Queen of Narnia.”</p><p>“Very well, Son of Adam,” Aslan said. “Know that I’m very proud of the decision you’ve made. Now, close your eyes, my boy. You will drift peacefully out of this life and immediately into your next. Go with my blessing.”</p><p>The golden paperweight lion took a deep breath and breathed on Peter as he did as he was bid and closed his eyes. As he fell asleep, Aslan roared softly, before jumping down off the bed and then back up onto the desk. A moment later, the golden paperweight was back to its original size and as inanimate as it had been since Edmund had gifted it to Peter eight years ago.</p><p>-o-0-o-</p><p>Ten years later, Peter awoke on the morning of his tenth birthday and practically leaped out of his bed, filled with excitement. Today was a very important day in his life because tradition would see him visiting the Narnian Imperial Egg Depository at Cair Paravel.</p><p><strong><em>‘It’s definitely one major difference from last time,’</em></strong> Peter thought as he headed into his ensuite bathroom to wash and get ready for the day.</p><p>His memories of his old life in the other Narnia had slowly been returning to him as he got older. They came in small bursts as he got older so that he wasn’t overwhelmed all at once with more than his developing brain could handle.</p><p>First and foremost, this Narnia was far, far older than the Narnia he’d known before. He’d arrived in that Narnia in the Narnian Year 1000, in the one-hundredth year of Jadis the White Witch’s reign of endless winter. After her defeat, he and his siblings had ruled Narnia as its Kings and Queens during the fifteen-year-long Golden Age of Narnia.</p><p>That other Narnia had, according to Aslan, ended in the year 2555… which was only a fraction of the time that Narnia had existed in this reality, as there was recorded history going back many thousands of years. There were even events in the far distant past, some 8,000 or more years ago, that had achieved mythical status.</p><p>Another difference was that the reign of Jadis had never happened in this world. The seasons did tend to last for many years at a time, so there were, from time to time, winters that lasted several years.</p><p>Peter knew from his studies that winter had last come to Narnia fifteen years before he was born and had lasted for about six-and-a-half years. This was followed by a seven-year spring and a summer that had begun one-and-a-half years before Peter’s birth and was still ongoing now in his tenth year.</p><p>The centaur sages predicted that summer would go on in Narnia for about three or four more years, making it one of the longest summers in recorded history. They further predicted an autumn season of no less than five years before winter would once again come to Narnia, although it was far enough into the future that even the wisest of the centaurs couldn’t say for sure how long it would last.</p><p>After he’d made use of the privy, Peter bathed and then got dressed. It was as he came out of his ensuite that he spotted his siblings sitting in the chairs in front of his unlit fireplace. Being summer the temperatures never dropped low enough even overnight to warrant lighting it, so Peter could honestly say that he’d never seen his bedroom fireplace lit.</p><p>He’d once commented to his nanny that it seemed like a waste of space, although she assured him that when winter did once again come to Narnia, that he’d be very glad it was there then. Having experienced the tail-end of Jadis’s winter in the old Narnia, Peter didn’t doubt that, although he knew that if he didn’t have those memories, having only experienced summer in this life, he probably wouldn’t have believed his nanny’s words.</p><p>“Happy birthday, Peter!” his three siblings all chorused with smiles as he re-entered his bedroom from the ensuite.</p><p>“Thank you,” Peter said, returning the smile, as he looked at his siblings.</p><p>From his past life, he knew that the order of their ages had changed. Peter was still the eldest, but now Edmund was the second-eldest, born a year after Peter, followed by Lucy two years later, and finally Susan, a full five-years after Peter.</p><p>Susan in this life, however, was not the same Susan who had lived in the old Narnia with Peter, Edmund, and Lucy. She looked very much the same as she had, albeit far younger in this world due to not being the secondborn child and firstborn daughter.</p><p>What intrigued the other three Pevensie children was that it was clear that like them, Susan had also lived a past life, as she’d begun having flashes of memories starting at the age of four which she couldn’t possibly have experienced in her current life.</p><p>These flashes, likely due to her age, were somewhat vague, but from them, they knew that in her past life, she’d grown up in a great castle and that she lived as royalty as the ward of a king, whose name she had not yet remembered.</p><p>Further flashes of memory had also suggested that the land in which she’d lived had been similar in some respects to Narnia, although she had the feeling the king in that reality had not been a kind man to a certain class of people. She didn’t remember yet what class of people that was, however. She also wasn’t entirely sure what it meant, but she remembered the words Great Purge.</p><p>Peter, Edmund, and Lucy all agreed with Susan that whatever this so-called Great Purge was, it sounded ominous and bad. They all hoped that nothing of the sort ever happened in their lives this time around.</p><p>“Excited, Pete? Edmund asked as Peter sat down.</p><p>Peter grinned. “Do dragons fly?”</p><p>All four siblings laughed at that, as obviously, Peter was excited. Today was the day that he’d visit the Narnian Imperial Egg Depository at Cair Paravel to see if any of the dragon eggs called out to him. Being a dragonlord was a highly prestigious status in this version of Narnia. It basically determined nearly the entire course of your life following your tenth birthday.</p><p>All of the royalty and nobility of Narnia, and a very small handful of the landed gentry, were dragonlords. However, instead of lands and titles passing by way of inheritance from one generation to the next within a limited number of families, it was the visit to the Egg Depository once one had turned ten that would determine who would inherit a given section of land or a noble title.</p><p>All human citizens of Narnia—of which there were far, far more in this version of Narnia than the Old Narnia that Peter remembered—were eligible to join the upper classes of society. It all depended on whether or not they felt drawn to a dragon egg. And then, how far they rose in the ranks depended on which eggs called to them.</p><p>The eggs were separated into different groupings. At the lowest end were the eggs which were reserved for the landed gentry. These tended to be the smallest of the eggs and would produce dragons that while eventually big enough to be ridden, would never grow quite as large or powerful.</p><p>Following the landed gentry’s eggs, was a further five groups of eggs for the Barons, the Viscounts, the Counts, the Marquises, and the Dukes. Those eggs, along with the titles one could inherit, got progressively larger, with the baronial eggs being the smallest—although still larger than those of the landed gentry—and the ducal eggs being the largest.</p><p>Of course, there were still a further two groups of eggs after the ducal eggs. The royal and imperial eggs were, needless the say, the largest and most prestigious of the dragon eggs at Cair Paravel that every parent dreamed of calling out to their children.</p><p>In Peter’s life in Old Narnia, he had ruled as High King, with Edmund and his two sisters below him as King and Queens of Narnia. Similarly, in this version of Narnia, there were multiple monarchs of Narnia, although there were five now, instead of four.</p><p>The imperial eggs, by far the largest of all the eggs, determined who would be the High King of Narnia. These eggs, once hatched, always produced the largest and most powerful dragons, though the hatchlings did, of course, have to grow up first.</p><p>Although dragons never truly stopped growing. Their growth slowed down upon reaching physical maturity, which occurred between five and seven years after they were hatched. However, the dragons would still be growing, albeit at a far slower rate.</p><p>The only thing that stopped a dragon’s growth was their death, which tended to happen somewhere between 150 and 200 years. In the histories, there were some rare accounts of dragons that had lived longer than 200 years. All of those accounts, however, were believed to be nothing more than myth or a scribe’s error, as no dragons in the last several millennia had surpassed the age of 200 years.</p><p>In addition to possibly inheriting estates, noble, or royal titles, however, another benefit of becoming a dragonlord, was that your lifespan was expanded to match that of your dragon. All dragonlords lived for the same amount of time as their dragon.</p><p>This bonding between rider and dragon meant that no dragon was capable of surviving the death of their rider. Although there were instances in which a dragonlord bonded with a new dragon after the death of their original. This seemed to be limited, however, to dragonlords who were less than one hundred years old when their dragon died.</p><p>Much as a dragon’s growth rate slowed upon reaching physical maturity, so too did a dragonlord’s rate of aging slow upon reaching their own physical maturity. Of course, where this happened between five and seven years after hatching for dragons, it usually happened somewhere between the ages of seventeen and twenty-seven for dragonlords.</p><p>“Oh I hope you become a dragonlord, Peter,” Lucy said. “To ride a dragon sounds so exciting.”</p><p>Susan nodded. “Not to mention the other benefits that come with it.”</p><p>Edmund grinned. “Yes, longer life, reduced aging, wealth, power, prestige… and perhaps even magic.”</p><p>While there were plenty of people born in Narnia with magic, it was also possible for people who showed no magical talent whatsoever to gain magical powers upon becoming a dragonlord. Although whether this happened or not was entirely dependent on which group of dragon eggs they heard the calling from.</p><p>It seemed to be strictly limited to the ducal, royal, and imperial eggs. Any person who was born with magic, if called to by an egg from those groupings, would get a power boost. If they had no magic previously, however, they’d gain it.</p><p>This magic, whether it was a boost to existing magic or a granting of magic where none had existed previously, was tied to the age of the dragon. The dragonlord’s magic would get stronger as the dragon aged, even after the dragon’s aging slowed. Thus, the elderly ducal, royal, or imperial dragonlords were easily the most gifted and powerful practitioners of magic in all of Narnia.</p><p>Peter shook his head. “I’ll just be happy if I get an egg, even if it’s one for the gentry.”</p><p>Edmund, Lucy, and Susan nodded in agreement, but nothing further was said, as at that moment, their nanny—a sweet and kind talking beaver named Nadella—entered the room and said, “It’s time to go Peter. Chop, chop, you don’t want to keep the eggs waiting.”</p><p>-o-0-o-</p><p>Over two hours later, Peter was beginning to get a bit impatient as he waited outside of the depository to be allowed in. Only five children at a time were allowed in and there were several groups ahead of Peter when he arrived.</p><p>The depository was only open for the last seven days of each month, so while some children, like him, were able to visit on their actual tenth birthday if it happened to fall during the week that the depository was open, most children visited several days or even a couple of weeks after their birthdays.</p><p>Finally, one of the attendants began putting together the next group that would be allowed in and Peter found himself called forward from the throngs of people whose birthday was the same month as his. Almost immediately after his name was called, he felt like somebody was looking at him intensely.</p><p>It took a moment, but finally, he saw a blond-haired boy his age with blue eyes… and a very familiar face. Moving next to him, Peter cleared his throat and asked, “Caspian?”</p><p>The boy smiled and seemed to relax, as he said, “Peter… I thought that was you, but then I thought maybe it was just wishful thinking.”</p><p>Peter grinned as he pulled the other boy into a quick one-armed hug and patted him on the back, a gesture which Caspian quickly returned.</p><p>“The others?” Caspian asked.</p><p>“Edmund and Lucy too,” Peter said, as he leaned close and whispered into Caspian’s ear, “There is a Susan, but not our Susan.”</p><p>Caspian nodded and said, “I see. Well, three is better than none. For the last few years, I feared that I was the only one who’d come back.”</p><p>Peter nodded, but before he could say anything the depository doors were opened by the guards and the attendant ushered Peter’s and Caspian’s group inside.</p><p>Grinning as Caspian, Peter said, “Good luck.”</p><p>“You too,” Caspian said, returning the grin.</p><p>Entering the depository, the attendant first showed the group of five—two boys and three girls—into the room that contained the eggs for the landed gentry. Not long after entering the room one of the girls indicated that she felt one of the eggs calling to her and once this was confirmed, another attendant appeared and took the girl and the egg into another room.</p><p>They then moved through to the next few rooms, losing another girl in the Viscount Chamber and the other in the Count Chamber. Peter and Caspian shared a look as they were the only two left and entered the Duke’s Chamber, wondering if they would feel the call at all.</p><p>They both knew that they’d been Kings of the Old Narnia, of course, but they never assumed that would be the case again and as they moved through the various chambers, not hearing or feeling the call, they’d both began getting worried.</p><p>After a few minutes, it was clear that neither of them was feeling it in the Duke’s Chamber either, so with a smile, their attendant moved over to the locked and guarded doors of the Royal Chamber and the group entered the last room, where both the Royal and Imperial eggs were kept.</p><p>Entering the room, Peter and Caspian saw two rows of seven eggs resting atop small golden thrones sitting atop white marble plinths. Beyond them, on a raised dais, was a single row of five more eggs resting upon full-size thrones that were copies of the five thrones in Cair Paravel’s throne room.</p><p>Gesturing to the first two rows, the attendant said, “If you feel any of the eggs in these first two rows calling to you, then as soon as you hatch your egg, you will be invested as a Crown Prince of Narnia, and heir to the throne, as soon as a spot opens on the Royal Council.”</p><p>Peter and Caspian nodded, knowing that probably wouldn’t be much longer as Narnia’s current monarchs were all quite old. Each of them had been on the throne for over a century now.</p><p>“And the eggs on the raised dais?” Caspian asked, having a feeling he knew why they were separated from the others but wanted confirmation.</p><p>“Those are the imperial eggs,” the attendant replied. “If one of them calls to you, then upon successfully hatching your egg, you will be a Crown Prince of Narnia, but will rise to the rank of High King upon the death of High Queen Versilia.”</p><p>Caspian nodded as he and Peter moved closer to the eggs and began to walk slowly amongst them. Neither of them felt anything at all from the eggs in the first row.</p><p>However, as Peter passed the fourth egg in the second row, he stopped dead in his tracks and turned to look at the blue-grey egg with silver accents.</p><p>“It’s calling to me,” Peter said, as he moved closer to the egg and the attendant nodded, and snapped her fingers. Two male attendants seemed to appear out of nowhere as they picked up the egg and left the chamber, as the attendant said, “Follow them and they’ll take you to the hatching room.”</p><p>Peter nodded, as he smiled at Caspian and said, “Good luck.”</p><p>“Thanks,” Caspian said.</p><p>It was as Peter was leaving with the attendants carrying his dragon egg that he had a flash of memory… of Aslan’s voice saying, <em>“You will actually be reborn there as the reincarnated future King of Narnia. Although, your title and responsibility as High King of Narnia will be someone else’s this time around.”</em></p><p><strong><em>‘I wonder if it’ll be Caspian,’</em></strong> Peter thought, as the door closed behind him.</p><p>-o-0-o-</p><p>Peter was all smiles as he returned home, with his newly-hatched baby dragon sleeping peacefully, curled up on his left shoulder, its tail wrapped around the back of his neck for a bit of extra stability.</p><p>“Oh, Peter, congratulations!” Susan said when she saw him, before turning and calling out, “Edmund! Lucy! Peter’s back. And he’s got a dragon!”</p><p>Edmund and Lucy ran into the room only seconds later and came to a stop as they looked at their eldest brother and his new friend in awe.</p><p>“Peter, it's gorgeous,” Lucy said as she looked at the small dragon, who had pale blue scales with just a hint of gray around the edges. The little dragon’s horns, spinal plates, and wing bones were a darker blue with shining silver accents. “Is it a boy or a girl?”</p><p>Peter smiled. “Edmund, Lucy, Susan, meet Seamist… and he’s currently a boy.”</p><p>“Currently?” Susan asked.</p><p>Nodding, Peter said, “I’ve been told that a dragon’s gender is as changeable as the flame. So, they can be male for years and then suddenly switch, get pregnant, lay a clutch of eggs, and then go back to being male again.”</p><p>His siblings nodded but remained silent as they all stared at his dragon. Peter could understand why, as after the egg had hatched, he’d spent a good half-hour doing the same. He’d just been so enthralled with the little creature and felt an instant connection to him.</p><p>“Anyway, if you three are about done staring at Seamist,” Peter said, grinning, “I suggest you all go and start packing.”</p><p>“Packing?” Edmund asked. “Are we going somewhere?”</p><p>Nadella scampered into the room at this point and said, “I should say so.”</p><p>At the confused looks on his siblings’ faces, Peter said, “We’re moving… to Cair Paravel.”</p><p>Edmund’s and Lucy’s eyes widen, as Lucy asked, “Oh Peter, you mean?”</p><p>Nodding, Peter said, “Seamist is a royal dragon… I’m officially Crown Prince Peter, to become King Peter once there’s an opening on the Royal Council.”</p><p>“Just King?” Edmund asked. “Not High King?”</p><p>Shaking his head, Peter said, “Nope, not High King.” Here he grinned, however, and said, “Caspian got that.”</p><p>“Caspian?” Lucy asked. “You saw him?”</p><p>Nodding, Peter said, “Yup, he was the only other boy in my group, when we entered the depository. After I left with Seamist’s egg, he heard the call from one of the imperial eggs and hatched Rhynerion not long after.”</p><p>“I’ll go get started on your packing,” Nadella said before she scampered out of the room towards the bedrooms.</p><p>“So we all get to go live at Cair Paravel?” Susan asked, a bright smile on her face, as she so enjoyed hearing her siblings talk about their memories from their first life when they’d reigned as the Kings and Queens of a different Narnia.</p><p>“Yup,” Peter said. “They don’t know that I was the High King in a past life, so they think I need to be trained in everything that a King of Narnia needs to know. Of course, there are enough differences in this version of Narnia, that there may be a few things I do need to learn.”</p><p>Edmund nodded. “True enough.”</p><p>“Anyway, we all get to move into the castle,” Peter said, “because they figured it wouldn’t be right to separate me from my family. The good thing about living at Cair Paravel is that once you all turn ten, you’ll be allowed to visit the depository outside of the normal hours and avoid the crowds of people who were born the same month as you.”</p><p>“Cool,” Edmund said. “So, did you get magic?”</p><p>Peter grinned but said nothing as he concentrated on his brother and snapped his fingers behind his back.</p><p>A moment later, Lucy and Susan started giggling, as Edmund looked at them confused.</p><p>“What’s so funny?” he asked.</p><p>“Oh, Ed…” Susan said, through her giggles. “Your…”</p><p>“…hair,” Lucy managed, past her own giggles.</p><p>Edmund’s eyes widened at his giggling sisters, as he moved over to the entry hall and the mirror he knew hung on the wall above the small hall table. Staring at his reflection, Edmund’s eyes widened in shock as he took in his hair.</p><p>It was bright neon pink with blue-tipped spikes.</p><p>“PETER!!”</p><p>Susan, Lucy, and Peter all burst out, full-on laughing, as they all beat a hasty retreat from the living room.</p><p>-o-0-o-</p><p>Three years later, Peter was still one of the Crown Princes of Narnia, but he honestly didn’t mind. He’d become High King of Narnia at only thirteen in the Old Narnia and he honestly was in no rush to become King again in this one.</p><p>From his experiences in the Old Narnia, he knew that he was capable, but he wouldn’t mind if he could just enjoy being a teenager for more than a few months—preferably a few years—before he ended up back on a throne, with the pressures of running a kingdom on his shoulders.</p><p>A lot had happened in the last three years. Edmund turned ten the year after Peter did and had been proclaimed a Crown Prince of Narnia after hatching a royal dragon egg into the dragon Dawnfyre.</p><p>And upon Lucy’s tenth birthday just two months ago, she was proclaimed Crown Princess of Narnia, after she hatched her dragon, Stardancer.</p><p>Peter’s own dragon, Seamist, had when he’d first hatched him, been able to sleep in Peter’s bedroom with him. He’d had a perch similar to what one might have for a bird. The perch was no longer there, however, having been moved to Lucy’s room where Stardancer was now using it. Both Seamist and Dawnfyre had grown enough in the last three and two years respectively that they could no longer sleep inside Cair Paravel.</p><p>It made sense though since dragons reached physical maturity between the ages of five and seven that they’d grow quickly. They only stayed a size that could be called a baby for the first four to six months of their lives, before they started growing quickly.</p><p>By the end of his first year of life, Seamist had been twice the size of a full-grown ostrich. And by the end of his second, he’d more than quadrupled in size. Now only a few months past three years, it likely wouldn’t be much longer until Seamist reached a size that would allow Peter to ride him. Which was something that Peter was definitely looking forward to.</p><p>Something else that happened was that Peter and Caspian had rather quickly become the best of friends in the three years since they’d met in the egg depository. What had caught Peter off guard, however, was that within the last couple of months, he’d started seeing Caspian as more than a friend.</p><p>He couldn’t help but blush when he thought about the times over the last few weeks that he’d woken up with wet and sticky sheets… and he just knew that it was because he’d had a wet dream about Caspian. Just hearing his voice was enough lately to make Peter’s cock twitch and swell with obvious interest.</p><p>Peter was surprised by this because he knew from his memories in his past life that he had never been attracted to Caspian or any other man as anything other than a friend. In this life, however…</p><p>“Oh bother,” Peter muttered as just thinking about Caspian made his cock swell up and he tried to shift into a more comfortable position.</p><p>It was as he did this, however, that he felt something wet and slick between his legs and he knew it couldn’t possibly be from a wet dream since he hadn’t fallen asleep yet since climbing into bed.</p><p>Pulling back his covers to investigate it was then that Peter was momentarily surprised when he saw red. A second later, his mind caught up and he remembered his schooling.</p><p>The world he now found himself in was very different from his last one. In that, while every human was born a certain gender, male or female, there were a number of them that upon reaching puberty developed secondary sex characteristics.</p><p>What this meant was that some men and women had the fully functioning reproductive organs of both genders and thus could both sire and carry children. The genitalia one was born with determined their primary gender, which among other things tended to dictate body type and height.</p><p>Although it had to be said that everyone who developed the secondary reproductive system tended to have slightly wider hips and be taller, to provide the required space inside their bodies for both systems to co-exist.</p><p>The reproductive system that was tied to one’s primary gender was also the one that was active for the greatest amount of time each year. As the body basically switched which system was active every third month.</p><p>Peter sighed as he realized that the red now staining his underwear was the result of his first period, meaning that he had the secondary organs and thus would be able to get pregnant in the future.</p><p>“By Aslan,” Peter muttered. After a moment, he shook his head and said, “I suppose it does make things easier for me to be with Caspian, as we won’t be barred from having children in this life.”</p><p>Peter knew that he wanted children eventually, but he hadn’t talked to Caspian about whether or not he did. Obviously, Caspian had been a parent before, but Peter had the nagging feeling that Caspian may have only had his son Rillian in his old life because he’d been required to provide an heir to the Narnian throne.</p><p>How else does one explain that Caspian and his wife, Lilliandil, waited nearly fifteen years between their marriage and having their firstborn and only child? Peter could well remember how his advisors during his reign in the Old Narnia had been concerned about the lack of an heir to the throne.</p><p>And their fears had been rather justified considering that when he and his siblings went back through the wardrobe to Earth after fifteen years, they left the throne of Narnia empty, which had not only led to the end of the Narnian Golden Age but also the beginning of the Dark Age that had allowed the Telmarines to conquer Narnia.</p><p>Not that providing an heir to the throne was a major concern in Narnia now, considering how the inheritance laws worked. Since any children living at Cair Paravel got to visit the depository when it was normally closed, it had certainly happened before where the throne passed from a parent to their child. It didn’t happen frequently enough to be considered the norm, however.</p><p>“That’s assuming that Caspian is even interested in being with me in that way,” Peter muttered softly, not worried about anyone overhearing him as he always placed silencing charms around his bed after crawling into it each night. “For all I know, I’m alone in my more than friendly feelings.”</p><p>Peter sighed as he waved a hand and used magic to clean up the blood and vanish his now stained underwear. Summoning a clean pair from his dresser, Peter also summoned an old shirt that was too small for him now. He’d planned on putting it in the donation bin for the less fortunate denizens of the city on the castle outskirts, but it seemed he had a different use for it now.</p><p>Using magic—which he’d come to love having over the last three years—he cut up the shirt and magically fashioned thick padding that he could place inside of his underwear. A spell for added absorbency and a couple more for comfort meant that Peter barely even noticed it was there once he’d placed it in the clean pair of underwear and slid them on.</p><p>He fell asleep not long after, his thoughts on Caspian as they’d been most nights in the month or so since he started to realize just how attractive the other boy was.</p><p>-o-0-o-</p><p>It was about two weeks later, following a history lesson with their half-dwarven tutor Doctor Aurelius—that Caspian was sure but hadn’t yet sought to confirm was the younger reincarnation of Doctor Cornelius—that Peter found out whether or not the blond-haired prince would be open to being more than friends.</p><p>They were just packing up the books, scrolls, and quills after Aurelius had left the room when suddenly Caspian placed his hand on Peter’s left thigh. The moment Peter looked up into Caspian’s blue eyes, he could practically see the fire of lust dancing in his irises.</p><p>Before he could say anything, however, Caspian’s lips were pressed against his and while Peter was momentarily stunned into inaction, it didn’t take long for him to wake up and start returning the kiss.</p><p>After a moment, Caspian pulled back just far enough to stop the kiss, though still close enough that Peter could feel the other prince’s lips moving against his, as he said, “I’ve wanted to do that for over a month now.”</p><p>“Then why didn’t you?”</p><p>“I was scared,” Caspian admitted as he leaned a bit further back so that he could actually see Peter’s face.</p><p>“Scared?”</p><p>“That you wouldn’t be interested. That I’d lose our friendship and trashed our future working relationship as Kings of Narnia before it had even begun.”</p><p>Peter smiled and shook his head. “No matter what my personal feelings might be for you, you will be my High King and I will do everything I possibly can to aid and advise both you and Narnia, to the best of my ability.”</p><p>Before Caspian could say anything, Peter placed a finger over the other prince’s lips and added, a grin on his face, “Besides which, I’ve been dreaming about you in a decidedly less than friendly way for a little over three months now.”</p><p>A cautious Caspian asked, “Is that in a good way or a bad way?”</p><p>Peter shook his head. “Well, considering we just kissed and that you’re the one who initiated it, I’m going to assume you’ll think it’s in a good way… since the dreams have been about how much I want to get you out of all your clothes and what I want to do with you in bed or on the nearest flat surface.”</p><p>Caspian blushed at this, but he also grinned, as he said, “I’ve been having very similar dreams. They’ve practically been driving me spare trying to keep them to myself out of fear of losing you.”</p><p>“So what changed? Not that I’m complaining, mind you.”</p><p>“I finally just couldn’t take it anymore,” Caspian said. “I needed to know if you were open to being more than friends, consequences be damned. I think I would have gone insane if I didn’t get an answer soon.”</p><p>“Well, now you’ve got one,” Peter said as he leaned in and placed a quick peck on the other prince’s lips, as he said, “I’m definitely open to being more than just friends.” He paused and said, “I’ll admit it did catch me off guard as I never had such thoughts in my old life, but… everything else has changed in this one, so why not that?”</p><p>Nodding, Caspian said, “Yeah it was the same for me. I had several close male friends in my old life, but never any that I felt any desire to do the kinds of things I’ve been dreaming about doing with you in this one.”</p><p>Peter smiled, before he sighed, somewhat regretfully, as he said, “I’d ask if you’d like to go back to my room and we can kiss some more, but, unfortunately, I’ve got a sparring session with Vorieus and you know what he’s like if you’re late.”</p><p>Caspian nodded, as he thought about Cair Paravel’s centaur Master at Arms. “I wouldn’t be able to come anyway, as much as I might want to, as I’ve got a diplomacy lesson with High Queen Versilia.”</p><p>“Tonight after dinner?” Peter asked, as he stood and shouldered the bag carrying his school supplies.</p><p>Caspian grinned, as he stood. “It’s a date,” before he leaned over and gave Peter a quick peck on the lips before they both left the room to get to their respective lessons.</p><p>-o-0-o-</p><p>After that day following their history lesson, Peter’s and Caspian’s relationship evolved from friendship to something more over the next several months. They took things a bit slow at first, despite some complaints from their hormones, but it was new territory for both of them.</p><p>They were amid some passionate kissing and some pretty heavy petting when there was a knock on Peter’s bedroom door.</p><p>“Peter, it’s Edmund. Can I talk to you?”</p><p>Peter sighed, as he and Caspian moved apart and fixed their clothes, making sure that they looked presentable. One of the things they were both pleased about was that breeches were a thing in this version of Narnia, unlike the old one, where knee-length tunics over hose had been the prevailing fashion.</p><p>Yes, it was an extra layer to have to remove to have sex, but that was a good thing because it had restrained them from going too far yet. And the last thing they would have wanted was to be on the bed, half-naked, with their hose down around their ankles and one of their cocks inside the other when Edmund knocked on the door.</p><p>Once he was sure they both looked presentable, Peter took a deep breath and walked over to the door. Unlocking it, he opened it to find Edmund looking like he was just about to leave.</p><p>“Oh, you are here,” Edmund said. “I thought maybe you’d gone down to the library or something.”</p><p>As he crossed the threshold, Edmund said, “Oh, hello, Caspian.”</p><p>“Hey Ed,” Caspian said, trying to sound nonchalant.</p><p>Edmund, however, was a little too observant for his own good.</p><p>“Oh, I’m interrupting aren’t I?” He blushed and added, “I’ll just go.”</p><p>“No, Ed, it’s okay,” Peter said, as he closed the door and guided his brother over to a chair. “Have a seat. What did you want to talk about?”</p><p>Edmund was quiet for a while. Long enough for Peter and Caspian to get worried.</p><p>“You don’t have a problem with Caspian and I being…” Peter started.</p><p>Shaking his head, Edmund cut him off. “What the two of you being a couple? No, Pete, of course not. Even if I didn’t know that you could sire and carry, I wouldn’t have a problem with it. As long as you two were happy, that’s all that’s important.”</p><p>“Okay then,” Caspian said. “So, what’s up Ed? Or would you prefer to talk to Peter alone? I can go if you want.”</p><p>“No, it’s fine,” Edmund said. “Honestly, maybe it’s better that you’re both here and that you’re a couple. I need some advice.”</p><p>“From the way you worded that, I’m going to assume you’re talking about romantic advice.”</p><p>Edmund blushed again but nodded. “Yeah, um… well, I’ve sort of been having dreams lately… of the wet variety.”</p><p>“Not about either of us, right?” Caspian asked.</p><p>Edmund’s eyes widened at that as he said, “By Aslan, no! Caspian, you’re like a brother to me and Peter is my brother. I love you both, but not like that.”</p><p>“Good, because that would have been awkward,” Peter said.</p><p>Caspian nodded, but remained silent, as he just smiled at Edmund to encourage him to continue.</p><p>“They’re about… um… well…” Edmund blushed again. “Prince Corin.”</p><p>“King Tor of Archenland’s son?” Caspian asked as Edmund nodded. “Ah, well, I can understand the appeal.”</p><p>“He is quite handsome,” Peter agreed. “So, what do you want to know, Ed?”</p><p>“Well, um… how… how do I find out if I stand a chance with him?”</p><p>“Easiest way would probably be to ask him,” Caspian said.</p><p>Peter couldn’t help but laugh as he looked at his brother and saw the deer in the headlights look on his face.</p><p>“Or you could try the even more direct approach,” Peter said. “The one that Caspian took to find out if I was interested.”</p><p>“I’m almost afraid to ask,” Edmund said.</p><p>“I put my hand on his thigh and kissed him,” Caspian said.</p><p>Shaking his head, Edmund said, “I couldn’t do that!”</p><p>“Well, I suppose Caspian or I could approach him for you,” Peter said. “Sound him out a bit.”</p><p>Before Edmund could reply there was another knock on Peter’s door, prompting him to stand up and move to answer it. When he did, he carefully stepped out into the corridor without opening the door far enough for the person on the other side to see who was in his room.</p><p>“I wonder who’s out there,” Caspian said.</p><p>Edmund shrugged.</p><p>A couple minutes later, Peter re-entered the room smiling from ear to ear and Edmund’s eyes widened when he saw none other than Prince Corin of Archenland following him into the room.</p><p>“Funny thing,” Peter said. “Corin stopped by to ask for my opinion… on whether or not I thought my brother would be interested in being more than his friend.”</p><p>Edmund was apparently so distracted by being in the same room as his crush that Peter’s words didn’t register, as he muttered, “Damn it, I knew I didn’t stand a chance.”</p><p>Nudging Edmund, Caspian whispered in his ear, “Um, Ed? Peter said that Corin wanted to know if Peter thought his brother would be interested in dating him. You’re Peter’s only brother.”</p><p>It took a moment, but finally, Edmund’s eyes widened as he blushed bright red.</p><p>Corin grinned. “You know I  didn’t think it was possible, but I think he’s even cuter when he’s blushing.”</p><p>“Okay, come on, Ed,” Peter said as he pulled Edmund into a standing position and then pushed him towards Corin. “Corin is interested in you, you’re interested in him, so just kiss each other already.”</p><p>Before Edmund could respond, Corin wrapped his arms around Edmund and kissed the tip of the black-haired prince’s nose, before leaning his forehead against Edmund’s and looking him in the eye.</p><p>“Crown Prince Edmund of Narnia, will you go out with me?” Corin asked in his most formal and diplomatic voice.</p><p>Edmund smiled, as he said, “Prince Corin of Archenland… yes, I’d love to.”</p><p>Corin smiled before he tilted his head to one side and sealed his lips against Edmund’s, as he tightened his hold on the other boy.</p><p>“Ah, young love,” Peter said, as he moved over to Caspian and wrapped his arms around his boyfriend.</p><p>Caspian smiled, before kissing Peter on the lips.</p><p>-o-0-o-</p><p>Three-and-a-half years later, Peter and Caspian, both now sixteen years old, walked hand-in-hand out to one of Cair Paravel’s large courtyards. There were several of these scattered about the palace complex with this particular one being one of the largest. It was designed extra-large to allow for multiple dragons to land or take-off from within it.</p><p>“Feel like a race?” Caspian asked with a grin.</p><p>“Always, love,” Peter answered, as he leaned over and kissed Caspian quickly on his lips, before he turned his eyes skyward and called out, “<strong><em>Drákon, Seamist, éla se ména!</em></strong>”</p><p>Caspian grinned, as he too turned his eyes skyward and called out, “<strong><em>Drákon, Rhynerion, éla se ména!</em></strong>”</p><p>Not long after the two princes called out, the heavy beating of wings could be heard and two dragons became visible on the horizon. Within a few minutes, the ground shook as they landed about twenty feet from their riders.</p><p>Grinning, the two boys walked up to their respective dragons and patted their snouts affectionately with one hand, even as they used their other hands to magically summon the saddles they’d had fashioned once they’d reached physical maturity.</p><p>Both dragons were far too large for Peter or Caspian to safely be able to try and straddle the base of their necks while in flight. With magic, they could affix the soles of their shoes to their dragon’s backs and stand, but that was only comfortable for short flights, as they’d inevitably tire of standing eventually.</p><p>Once the saddles were put on, Seamist and Rhynerion put their wings down so that their riders could climb up and onto their backs. They then began strapping themselves in with Peter finishing about a minute faster than Caspian.</p><p>Grinning, Peter said, “<strong><em>Petó!</em></strong>” which was the command to fly. Seamist immediately spread his wings and with a powerful downward motion lifted up into the skies, with Caspian and Rhynerion joining them not long after.</p><p>The two boys flew around the turrets and towers of Cair Paravel and out over the Great Eastern Ocean. It was as they were flying around one of the towers that Edmund must have seen them, as he soon joined them on Dawnfyre, with Lucy and Stardancer joining in not long after.</p><p>Susan had hatched her own royal dragon now and joined her siblings and Caspian as a Crown Princess of Narnia. She couldn’t join her siblings in flying yet, however, as she was only eleven years old. And her dragon, Aithusa, hadn’t yet grown large enough for Susan to ride him.</p><p>An interesting development, however, which had come from Susan hatching her dragon was that she not only gained magic—just as Edmund, Caspian, Lucy, and Peter had—but she also finally remembered some of the details from her past life which had always eluded her.</p><p>Peter, Edmund, and Lucy had been especially shocked when they realized that their sister in this life had actually been the Lady Morgana Le Fey. A person they’d thought was a mythical character from back on Earth. It turns out, they’d been wrong, however.</p><p>In remembering that she’d been Morgana, she also remembered that the King whose ward she’d been had in fact been King Uther Pendragon and that the Great Purge was a purging of all those with magic from the Kingdom of Camelot. Considering that all of them now had magic, their desire for such a thing to never happen in their new world got even stronger than it had been years ago when Susan had first remembered the words Great Purge.</p><p>Caspian, Peter, Edmund, and Lucy were having so much fun that they lost all track of time and thus were surprised when the sun began to set. They’d also flown far out over the Great Eastern Ocean, far enough that without even realizing it, they’d passed over both Galma and Terebinthia.</p><p>On dragonback and up in the skies, they probably would have had to shout to hear one another, but thankfully, they had magic. Their golden signet rings which marked them as royalty of the Empire of Narnia had been charmed to allow them to speak to one another over a distance. The rings only worked within a five-mile radius, but considering that they could all see each other, or at least each other’s dragons, they were well within range.</p><p>“We should probably head back,” Edmund said.</p><p>“Yes, we…” Peter began but was cut off by a soft roar that they all immediately recognized.</p><p>“Aslan,” they all said at that same moment, as they began looking around to see if they could spot the great lion.</p><p>After a few moments, they’d just begun to wonder if maybe they’d imagined it, when Lucy excitedly said, “There! I saw him, I saw Aslan!”</p><p>From their previous experiences in the Old Narnia, Caspian, Edmund, and Peter knew better than to doubt Lucy when she said that she’d seen Aslan.</p><p>“Lead the way, Lucy,” Caspian said. “We’ll follow.”</p><p>Taking the lead on Stardancer, Lucy leads the others in a northeasterly direction from where they were, as she kept her eyes peeled for Aslan’s face in the clouds as they flew on, further and further away from Narnia.</p><p>“I say, isn’t that Shipwreck Reef?” Edmund asked, as he looked down and saw the massive barrier reef.</p><p>Not much was actually known about the reef, as sailors and dragonlords alike tended to avoid the area, as there were claims that it was cursed. This was likely because there were frequent sudden storms in the area which had wrecked hundreds of ships on the reef, which is how it had gained its name.</p><p>Looking down at the mass of wrecked and broken ships, Peter nodded and said, “Yes, it is.”</p><p>“I’m sure Aslan has a reason for leading us this way,” Caspian said. “I just pray that he keeps the storms at bay.”</p><p>“Yeah,” Edmund said, as he looked down at the wrecks below and noticed that there were also a few visible dragon skeletons floating amongst the reef and the mass of wrecks. “Dawnfyre is a good flyer, but I don’t want to test his abilities against the storms this area is known for.”</p><p>“Keep faith everyone,” Peter said, pushing down the fear he felt, as he looked at the wrecked ships and skeletons. “I trust that Aslan wouldn’t lead us astray.”</p><p>“So do I,” Lucy said. “He said that this Narnia needed our help which is why he sent us all here, to begin with. Maybe this is part of that.”</p><p>As she said this, she spotted Aslan’s face again and coaxed Stardancer forward, as they flew over the reef. As they did this, they could see dark storm clouds brewing, but the skies where they and their dragons were flying appeared to be clear.</p><p>In fact, Lucy couldn’t help but smile as a few small birds flew past her head, birds that she immediately recognized as the small birds that brought the retired star Ramandu fire-berries to reduce his age. This made her more sure than ever that Aslan was guiding them and would keep them safe.</p><p>Continuing their flight over Shipwreck Reef, they soon saw the far side of the reef that they were sure nobody from Narnia had ever seen before.</p><p>The sun was still setting, but it was still light out enough that the four teens could see and eventually they could see land in the distance… land which as they got closer gave Peter, Edmund, and Lucy a start.</p><p>“Wait, are my eyes deceiving me?” Peter asked. “That landmass…”</p><p>“It looks like the southern half of England,” Edmund said. “Like Cornwall.”</p><p>As they continued flying and passed over the section of land that clearly looked like Cornwall, Peter said, “Yes, there’s Cornwall, Devon, and southern Wales.”</p><p>“Somehow I doubt that’s what they actually are though,” Caspian said. “As much as I’d love to see your world, I doubt we’re about to find it here, despite appearances.”</p><p>“Shall we land and explore?” Edmund asked.</p><p>They heard a soft roar at this and Lucy said, “I just saw Aslan again and he shook his head no. I think he’ll tell us when to land.”</p><p>Peter nodded. “Probably for the best,” as he shielded his eyes and looked west towards the sun. “The sun is almost down over the horizon, so we don’t have much daylight left.”</p><p>Flying over what on Earth would be the Bristol Channel, they continued flying towards the point where the channel met the River Severn. Of course, that’s assuming those bodies of water were named the same in this world, which the more they thought about what Caspian said, Peter and Edmund doubted.</p><p>Arriving at the mouth of the large river, they kept flying for a short time before a large medieval port city came into view, with a large castle towering above it. They’d seen a few other ports on their way here, but this one definitely seemed to be the largest and richest of them.</p><p>As they got closer, they also noticed that there was a dragon perched on top of the castle’s tallest tower that let out a roar as they came into view.</p><p>Passing over the top of the castle, they saw a large clearing and Lucy saw Aslan’s face in the clouds, turning a deep orange and pink in the setting sun. This time, however, she also saw one of his front paws and he was pointing down at the clearing.</p><p>“It’s time to land,” Lucy said. “Aslan just pointed at that large clearing beyond the castle.”</p><p>“Well, I guess we’ll find out where we are then,” Peter said. “We’ll have to be careful though. We don’t want to cause any diplomatic incidents.”</p><p>“True,” Caspian said. “And while we have four dragons between us, that dragon perched on the tower is clearly larger and older than ours.”</p><p>“Well, good thing we didn’t come here to fight,” Edmund said. “At least I hope we didn’t, because my sword is back at Cair Paravel.”</p><p>“Yes, so is mine,” Peter admitted. “I wasn’t expecting to go anywhere today where I might need it.”</p><p>“Just planned to go for a quick flight and then go back,” Caspian agreed, as the four of them came in for a landing.</p><p>They had just dismounted, when they saw the massive dragon on top of the castle tower take off and fly towards them. It wasn’t long before it landed about a hundred yards away and they watched as a richly dressed man dismounted from its back and approached them.</p><p>“I am Lord Caemor of House Seywood, the Duke of Gedref, identify yourselves.”</p><p>Stepping forward, since he was the senior royal of the group, for all that they currently all held the same title, Caspian said, “I’m Caspian, Crown Prince of the Empire of Narnia.”</p><p>Caemor tilted his head to one side. “Narnia? I don’t believe I’ve ever heard of an empire by that name.”</p><p>“It’s far to the southwest of here,” Caspian said. “On the other side of what we in Narnia call Shipwreck Reef.”</p><p>“Shipwreck Reef,” Caemor said. “I have heard of that. You’re brave to fly over that cursed area. Many ships and dragons have been lost there. Who are your companions?”</p><p>“Narnia is ruled by a Royal Council of five monarchs,” Caspian said. “I’m the future High King of Narnia and my companions are future Kings and a Queen of Narnia.”</p><p>“Crown Prince Peter,” Peter said, as he stepped up to Caspian’s left.</p><p>“Crown Prince Edmund,” Edmund said, as he stepped up to Caspian’s right.</p><p>“Crown Princess Lucy,” Lucy said, as she took her place next to Peter.</p><p>“Well, you’re certainly dressed like royalty,” Caemor said, as he looked at their clothes and the golden circlets upon their heads. “Well, then allow me to welcome you to the Dukedom of Gedref, in the Kingdom of Camelot. I invite you to spend the night at my castle and enjoy the hospitality of me and my family.”</p><p>Caspian, Peter, Edmund, and Lucy shared quick looks at the mention of Camelot before Caspian nodded. “Thank you, Lord Caemor. We accept.”</p><p>“Tomorrow I’ll take you to Castle Camelot,” Caemor said. “I’m sure that King Uther will be quite happy and eager to receive a delegation of foreign royalty.”</p><p>-o-0-o-</p><p>The End.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>And there you have the tale of ‘Once a King, Always a King.’ This story is a one-shot, although it will be continued in another future one-shot.</p><p>I plan to write three one-shots in total. The second one will be much like this one, only showing events happening to the Merlin characters leading up to this point in the story. The third will then cover the meeting between the Narnian royals and King Uther, along with any other events leading up to the characters of both Narnia and Merlin entering into the main story of ‘The Prophecy of the Seven’.</p><p>The Prince Corin of Archenland that appears in this story is an original character. He is not the reincarnation of the canon Prince Corin of Archenland. He just has the same name.</p><p>The dragon commands in this are in Greek. I chose Greek since the dragon language in Merlin was based on Ancient Greek. I decided to simplify things by using mostly one-word commands, however.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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